Leadership DNA It Pays to Be Nice

Even though technologies enable us to dissolve boundaries of space and time and connect us in exciting ways, we still face the same old challenge: to dissolve boundaries among colleagues, to build trust, and to engage our people.

We-centric leaders lift people out of fear, frustration, and anger, which cause people to disengage from each other. They create a culture that enables colleagues to be connected and involved.

When people feel disconnected, they become reactive, project their anxiety onto others, create more fear, blame others for what is missing in their lives, reject first to avoid being rejected, and disengage.

When colleagues work in concert, they learn from each other, develop higher level skills and wisdom, meet performance goals, and turn breakdowns into breakthroughs.

When leaders turn to others for suggestions and value them, they create a community that looks forward to coming to work.

Put your ego behind you– what matters is what “we can do together” not what “I” can do.

Let go of the past – focus on the challenges facing you and build healthy, mutually beneficial relationships.

Mastering these three dynamics changes everything. Your ability to lead will increase exponentially, and you will enhance your ability to create inspiring environments where people work together for mutual gain, growth, and understanding.

Rather than getting tangled up in conversations about blame, fear, and frustration about what is not happening at work, you establish a positive context for transformation by engaging people in ongoing conversations about what has, can, and will work to create a transformation. In doing so, you focus on what needs to happen to address the challenges and, with that focus and commitment, you develop into the best company possible.

Rather than trying to fix the past, create the future with others!

Experiment: Triggering Oxytocin in the Workplace

One way to catalyze greatness in your organization is to learn to move from fear to co-creating. Read this article from American Express Open Forum to give you some tips on how to do it… You’ll find a Conversational Intelligence™ Neuro-tip to help you pave the way… Learn how Oxytocin trumps fear!!!

—

Judith E. Glaser is the CEO of Benchmark Communications, Inc., and the Chairman of The Creating WE Institute. She is one of the most innovative and pioneering change agents, consultants and executive coaches in the consulting industry – and refers to herself as an Organizational Anthropologist.